"Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment" by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, Chapters 50–71

“This situation requires a little more finesse, Mr. Weber,” he said into a microphone.

“Klaus will wonder why I didn’t respond to his distress call.”
“And, if I may, why didn’t you?” asked Dr. Zimm. “Do you have a plausible alibi?”

“We need to detain those two,” said Zimm. “They keep protecting the girl.”
“We will,” said Yahav. “But I’m assuming the girl is still your top priority?”
Dr. Zimm nodded, grudgingly.

“They need new outlets for their entrepreneurial energy,” said Tisa.
“To do what?” said Siobhan. “They’re thugs.”
“For now,” said Tisa. “In Kenya, my father has worked with men who were very similar to this Moise Kabila. Given a choice, many eventually turned to more legitimate business—provided they could make enough money to help their families.”

“Maybe that can happen here,” mused Max.

More laughter. Max was proud of her team. They’d gone through something truly terrifying together and survived. That’ll build camaraderie.

Max paused. Tried to think of something momentous to say. All she could come up with was her favorite Einstein quote: “Imagination is more important than knowledge!”

“And,” said the ever-logical Annika, “we need to do it five more times. Klaus procured enough kits for six homes.”

The team split into sub-teams and, with assistance from Emmanuel and other village children who, once again, stayed home from the mines, they set to work installing solar panels on top of five homes. The work was grueling.

The sun, the source of all the power that would be soon streaming into Kasombumba, was unrelenting. The heat, sweltering.

Max had let everybody down. Her first big mission, the one she had chosen, was a huge flop. Worse, a fiasco.

“Rise and shine, Max. And remember what my friend John Archibald Wheeler said: ‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.’ Use this moment. Learn from it.”
She sometimes wished that inner Einstein would just shut up and leave her alone. She wasn’t in the mood for pithy quotes.

“Why aren’t the solar panels working?” she asked.
“Because they’re cheap,” said Vihaan, sounding annoyed. “Klaus got swindled.”

The Restaurant du Zoo was located at the Lubumbashi Zoological Garden, which made the excursion even more fun!

She was jostled awake near midnight when the small caravan pulled into Kasombumba.

It looked even worse in the harsh morning light. A tangle of wires. A mountain of broken batteries. Mangled solar panels resembling shattered mirrors.

But, throughout all these hardships, Albert Einstein’s mind kept working. His genius could not be deterred or defeated.

“You two are the Solar Blade Design Team.”
“Can’t we be something cooler sounding, like the Whirling Dervishes?” said Klaus.

But for today, the Corp is demanding immediate results. They want this quantum computer. The boy will appease them.

I will not have her genius squandered here in this desolate location. I need to take her home with me. I have better equipment. A better lab. A better research environment.

I will not have her genius squandered here in this desolate location. I need to take her home with me. I have better equipment. A better lab. A better research environment.

“I’m initiating evasive maneuvers,” said Yahav, coolly and crisply. He was doing his best to sound like the crack Israeli security forces member he used to be.

After all, Dr. Zimm really only needed Vihaan to appease the Corp. Klaus was what they called collateral damage.

To nab Vihaan, Yahav had to exploit his relationship with Klaus.

So, if Klaus proved of little value to the quantum computer project, maybe he would end up mining for cobalt shoulder to shoulder with Emmanuel and all the other wretched children from the village.

“B-b-but that was all theoretical hypothesizing,” stammered Vihaan.
“Which you can now turn into the real deal.”

“The Corp, clearly, has friends in this vicinity.”

The new boss had an ample belly but thick muscles and a neck that looked like a stump.

Max should’ve been afraid of the glowering man.

“Don’t provoke him.”
“I won’t. I just want to go over there and do a little research.”

“Charl and Isabl will be coming with us. They’ll be armed, like always. But I think the folks we’ll be visiting on our diplomatic mission might have more weapons.”

Because bullying kids around and making them do horrible work isn’t really a career with a very bright future. Now if you got in on the ground floor of a whole new venture, say, the fair-trade garment business, well, the sky’s the limit.

“From the satellite photos I've seen, the mine company complex is quite sprawling.”

Max shielded her eyes and could make out a man who looked a lot like Yahav sitting up front in the cockpit, working the controls. Two other men that Max didn’t recognize were seated in the open cargo bay behind him.

The helicopter din was just too deafening.

“Really? Does he know we risked our lives down here? That Vihaan and Klaus got kidnapped? That we had to strike a deal with a very scary warlord to rescue them?”
“Yes. He is aware of all that has transpired since we left Jerusalem.”

When she arrived at the airport and passed through customs, she saw a shaggy-haired boy in jeans and a black turtleneck standing in a crowd of chauffeurs.

“Yes,” said the benefactor, taking hold of Max’s battered suitcase and leading the way out of the terminal to the parking garage.

What I really wanted to do was to use my newfound wealth to make the world a better place. To honor my parents’ legacy.

Of course, I also trust Charl and Isabl and that funny old gentleman with the questionable British accent, Lenny Weinstock—all the folks who started the CMI before I gave it my massive cash infusion.